Marcos appoints UP prof as new budget secretary

Incoming Budget Sec. Kim Robert de Leon—PHOTO FROM UP WEBSITE

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has appointed University of the Philippines (UP) professor and technocrat Kim Robert de Leon as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

At 32, De Leon becomes the youngest member of the Cabinet and takes charge of one of the government’s most powerful fiscal agencies. Palace press officer Claire Castro confirmed the appointment and said De Leon would take his oath today (Tuesday, May 19).

De Leon replaces Budget Undersecretary Rolando Toledo, who was acting secretary since December 2025 after the resignation of Amenah Pangandaman amid a corruption scandal involving multibillion-peso flood control projects.

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Marcos appoints UP prof as new budget secretary

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